Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box is an American fast food chain that is only in Western states, like In-N-Out Burger. It was founded by Robert O. Peterson in 1951 in San Diego, California, where it is still headquartered today. In total, the chain has 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coast of the United States. Food items include the Jumbo Jack®, Sourdough Jack®, and Ultimate Cheeseburger™. History The creator and founder of the franchise was Robert O. Peterson. Peterson had worked in the food industry before Jack in the Box was founded, creating another restaurant named Topsy's Drive-In at 6270 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego in 1941. Topsy's were eventually renamed to be called Oscar's (which was Peterson's last name), with a circus like theme and drawings of a clown. Peterson's company was known as Foodmaker Inc. In 1951, Peterson opened a new resturant on the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, which was simular to Oscars titled Jack in the Box. At first, Jack in the Box had no carhops, but did have a two way intercom system, and a fast service drive thru. They were also famous for the giant clown head on the top of their building, which would soon be their mascot we known today as Jack. Soon, all of the Oscar's resturants were turned into Jack in the Box's as well. By 1966, Jack in the Box had over 180 locations, mainly in California and the Southwest. In 1968, Foodmaker Inc. was sold to Ralston Purina Company, in which by using television commercials. By the late 1980s, sales where at $655 Million, and they owned about 900 restaurants. Products Jack in the Box also offers an American version of ethnic cuisine - such as egg rolls, taquitos and tacos, along with breakfast burritos. New items come in on a rotation every three to four months, including the Philly cheesesteak and the deli style pannidos (deli trio, ham & turkey, zesty turkey) which were replaced by Jack's ciabatta burger and included the original ciabatta burger and the bacon n' cheese ciabatta as well as chicken sandwiches such as a classic version and a Bruschetta version with basil, garlic, and olive oil. Jack in the Box also carries seasonal items such as pumpkin pie shakes, Oreo mint shakes, and eggnog shakes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. In some locations, local delicacies are a regular part of the menu. Locations in Hawaii, for example, include the Paniolo Breakfast (Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice platter) and teriyaki chicken and rice bowl. In the Southern United States, the company offers biscuits and sweet tea. In Imperial County, California, some locations sell date shakes, reflecting the crop's ubiquity in the region's farms. In the spring of 2007 Jack in the Box also introduced its sirloin burger and followed this up with recently the sirloin steak melt. Its more recent foray into the deli market was the less-popular Ultimate Club Sandwich which was initially removed in Arizona due to poor sales and has since been phased out at all locations. In November 2009 the company discontinued their popular Ciabatta sandwiches/burgers. In the late 80s the company launched finger foods for the first time. Among the first to debut were the aforementioned egg rolls along with crispy golden shrimp and chicken strips. Later, the aforementioned taquitos came along, and were part of a "Finger Foods Variety Pack" that included 2 taquitos, 2 chicken strips, and 2 egg rolls. In 1990, 3 new finger foods were introduced: Mini Chimichangas with chicken and cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheeses; Toasted Raviolis, which were crispy breaded pasta with 3 cheeses, and crispy-breaded Spicy Chicken Wings. The early 90s saw Seasoned Curly Fries added to the menu. For a limited time in the late 90s, visitors could upgrade their regular fries to Seasoned Curly Fries for free. Currently, visitors could choose whether to have regular fries or Seasoned Curly Fries with their combos. The finger foods currently being promoted are the taquitos, chicken strips and egg rolls (though no longer in a variety pack), as well as chicken nuggets and fish n' chips. Advertising The restaurant rebounded in popularity in the mid-1990s, after a highly successful marketing campaign that featured the fictitious Jack in the Box CEO Jack character (voiced by the campaign's creator, Santa Monica advertising executive Dick Sittig), who has a ping pong ball-like head and is dressed in a business suit. In his comeback ad that debuted in Fall 1994, he re-introduces himself to the public and shows a clip of his "explosion" in the 1980s as the chain's change to cater to adult tastes. When he gets to the boardroom, a portion of the 1980s commercial music plays as he pulls out a detonation device and presses a button, causing the boardroom to explode. During Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009, a commercial depicted Jack in a Full Body Cast after getting hit by a bus. The closing shot encouraged viewers to visit a company website designed to encourage him to get better. At the same website, one can view different videos that speak of Jack's condition. These videos include a cell phone video of Jack's accident. Also, previously ran commercials of Jack include a disclaimer that reads "Recorded before Jack's accident." After a month in a coma, Jack woke up when his second-in-command, Phil, thinking Jack wasn't aware yet, revealed he was changing the name of the chain to "Phil in the Box". This woke Jack up, and he began to strangle Phil, shouting "PHIL IN THE BOX?! I DON'T THINK SO! SOMEBODY FIND MY PANTS! I GOT WORK TO DO!". Shortly after the "awakening", it was revealed that the corporate website would be relaunched, and the company would get a new logo, on March 16, 2009. In October 2009, Jack in the Box debuted a popular commercial to market their "Teriyaki Bowl" meals. The commercial features employees getting "bowl cut" hair cuts. At the end of the commercial, Jack reveals that his "bowl cut" is a wig, to the dismay of the employees. Bacteria Controversy In 1993, Jack in the Box suffered a major corporate crisis involving E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Four children died of hemolytic uremic syndrome and 600 others were reported sick after eating undercooked patties contaminated with fecal material containing the bacteria at locations in the Seattle area and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The chain was faced with several lawsuits, each of which was quickly settled (but left the chain nearly bankrupt and losing customers). At the time, Washington state law required that hamburgers be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 155 °F (68 °C), the temperature necessary to kill E. coli bacteria, although the FDA requirement at that time was only 140 °F (60 °C), which was the temperature Jack in the Box cooked. After the incident, Jack in the Box mandated that in all nationwide locations, their hamburgers be cooked to at least 155 °F (68 °C). Additionally, all meat products produced in the United States are required to comply with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) regulations. Every company that produces meat products is required to have a HACCP plan that is followed continuously. Following the outbreak, Jack in the Box hired consultant Dave Theno to lead their food safety turn around. He worked with food safety experts from manufacturing companies and created a comprehensive program to test for bacteria in every food product used at Jack in the Box. Category:Restaurants Category:Western Restaurants Category:Best Known Restaurants